Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-27
THE GREAT VIRGlNIAN.
"REMINISCENCES OF GEN. STONE
WALL 1CKSON.


WALL ICKSON.
How He Became q Professor at the fir"
ginia Military Institute-A Soldier In
the Glass Room a. Well as On the Bat
tie Field-Jackson's Rules ofLife-bfs
Religious Views.
Two weeks ago the MORNING NEWS
published an interesting letter from zen.
James e. Smith, i'll which was given
BONE interesting incidents connected
with the life of Gen. Stonewall Jackson
A few days ago Col. Clifford W. Ander-
Bon, to whom the letter referred to vas
addressed, received another equally as
Interesting from the same venerable and
distinguished Virginian. Through the
courtesy of COL Anderson the MORNING
NEWS is enabled to give its readers some
additional "reminiscences by Gen. smith,
and now published for the first time,
Gen. Smith. it will be remembered, is
still at the head of the Virginia Military
Institute, in which Thomas j. jackson
was professor prior to the breaking out
OF the war, Gen. Smith being then the in
etitution's superintendent.
GEN. SMITHS LETTER.
In his letter he says:
You ask me for some OF my recollections
of Gen. Stonewall Jackson while ne was a
professor in the Virginia Military Institute.
hardly know where to begin and where to
end. So many of these have been made pub
aic that ! may be repeating an old story.
Gen. Stonewall jackson, while breVet
major Of artillery in the army of the United
btates, and serving at the time at Fort Drane,
Fla. was on March q, 1851, unanimously
elected by the Board Of Visitors pro-
fessor Of natural philosophy and artil-
lery in the Virginia Military Institute.
he circumstances attending this appoint
ftt were striking. The Board OF Visitors,
fneir annual meeting at the institute in
June. 1850. determined 10 establish a new de
partment OF instruction as means Of devei-
DpIng the course OF nstructiOn and as relief
TO the chairs then existing. and the Superin-
fendent was Instructed to make suitable in
Zee as to proper person to M this chair.
knd to report the result at a called meeting
OF the board to be held in Rchmo md in the
Adjutant Generals Office. West Point
graduate was desired, and one specially quail
ihed n artillery.
During the summer visited West
Point, and obtained from my old
associates there the names of those graduates
of the academy who,in their judgment, would
answer to the wants of the institute. They
were young officers of the army who had es-
tablished reputation at West Point for high
scholarship, and in the Mexican war for SOL
dlership.
DISTINGUISHED WEST POINTERS.
AS nearly as now recolect the names of
these West Point graduates were as follows:
George j.. Mcclellan. Gustavus W. Smith,
Charles p St1ne, W 5. R9seerans, Jesse L.
Reno and thomas j. Jackson. Mcclellan,
Rene and jackson were classmates, having
graduated in 1916, just in time
To- 70 TAX, n,s part IN me u. M de Shaan
graduate, shows how carefully and how
wisely my West Point friends had entered
into the purposes OF my mission. When the
Board of Visitors met laid before them the
facts connected with my inquiries for suita-
be candidate to oil the new chair, the opih-
len OF the West Point professors having been
trh afra nsrfEna anil firr nv inf
NATION obtained by me from the War Depart
ment and from az extensive correspondence.
submitted TO the board the above names,
with tlie special reason sustaining the recon-
mendations in each case, stating that they
were all pereonaly strangers TO
me, and IL was left with the
of each. The Board of Visitors. and the in
stitutlon which they represented, would have
been fortunate to have secured the services OF
any one of these distinguished officers. 1t
happened that the Hon j. 5. Carlisle, of
West Virginia, not then divorce from the
old mother Virginia. was member OF the
board. he was acquainted with the early
rareer of jackson, and stated the courageous
manner in which he had struggled against
the Disadvantages of his boynood; bis success
Mt West Point; ami then recapItulated his
wonderful career IN the Mexican war-rising
as he had from the grade Of a Brevet Second
Lieutenant OF artillery to that OF Brevet
ing his earnest presentation Of
these facts with the important
consideration that he was Flrginian. There
was no hesitation on the part Lof the board,
and upon the nomination Of Judge Carlisle,
Brevet Maj. Thomas j. Jackson was unani-
mously elected.
JACKSON AS A TEACHER.
When he entered upon his duties as a pro-
fessor there was no mistaklng the fact that
he was genuine soldier. II was impossible
for him to lose sight of this even in the class
or the tender nIeas relations ,1 sqD'i'ting
rnnita he EuHW nothing He
knew them only as he knew tire men of his
battery as soldiers under hls command, with
all the reserve that characterized the rela
tions Of az officer 10 his men. IL was not that
he was wanting 10 kind or even tender feel
ings, but the classroom WAS no place for him
10 display il. This rigid adherence to militia
ny discipline made MIN unpopular with
cadets, and at times lei 10 co llsOns that
might have been avoided had there been
better mutual unders anding between them.
On the artillery drill he was in his element,
and he never tailed TO carry with him in ali
his movements the spirits Of the young
tiilerisIs. They would worry MIN, as boys
WIN do, by taking out the linen pins.
HIS usual drills IN preparation for the an
enual meeting OF the Board of Visitors had
been much interrupted one spring by con-
slant rams. The weather was again threat
eniDg. Still his battery was ordered out.
He watched the clouds as the thunder rolled.
Keeping up his drill that no time should nc
lost. But the cloud broke sooner than he de-
erred, and he had TO break the battery. The
rain fell IN torrents, while the lightning
Mashed. but &c stood by his guns. with his
sword under bis arm. and the moment the
sho ives over the signal was sounded and
the drill WAS completed.
WALKED IL THE POURING RAIN.
Punctilious in all questions OF military
Etiquette, he walked Tor some time in
front OF my Office yard IN a pouring
rain, and when ! noticed him
and called him in, 1 said, "Major, what in
dnced you TO walk out there in such a ram?
Why did you not come inf" Looking at his
watAb, he said, "The hour had not arrived TO
ham, in the usual weekly class reports "
thereafter. come in and sit down. replied.
"Thank yon." And he came in after this.
1 met him coming from town one day. He
stopped me abruptly aud said: Cant Won
give me good motto, or rule Of lifeY /
thought for moment and then said, a. have
found rule laid down By the Wise Man
safe one to he guided by, In
all thy ways acknowledge Him. and He shall
direct tiny path" "Repeat that again."
A did so. "Where shall find
mis-" "In Proverbs ILL.,, g." lie took out
bis note book and wrote down the reference.
and then said, with emphasis, ''GoOd! Good!
Very Good / have always followed two
rules, which have been OF great service TO
me.'' | asked him to give them to me. He
said:
Never violate general rule for par
ticular good"
ssI believe a man can nlwava do what ne